Ps 44:4

“All other people, you see, exercise royal power by making war so as to gain cities or wealth, or because of enmities or vainglory. God, by contrast, acts not for any of these things but for the sake of truth, to plant it on earth; and for the sake of gentleness, to make those who are more savage than wild beasts become gentle; and for the sake of righteousness, to make those who are in thrall to lawlessness become righteous, first from grace, and second from good deeds.”

“What was being achieved was in fact fearful and productive of terror: death was destroyed, hell was broken asunder, paradise was opened, heaven was thrown open, demons were shackled, the lower regions were mingled with the upper, God became human, a human being is seated on the kingly throne, hope in resurrection dawned, expectation reached beyond death, ineffable good things were enjoyed, and all other good things he achieved by his coming.… The Septuagint, [by contrast], reads, "Your right hand will guide you in marvelous fashion," that is to say, we should marvel not only at what is achieved but at the fact that it is achieved in surprising fashion: through death is death destroyed, through a curse is a curse lifted and blessing bestowed, through eating were we lately expelled, through eating we have once again been admitted. A maiden expelled us from paradise, through a maiden we find eternal life. What was the means of our being condemned becomes the means of our being crowned.”

“It is therefore clear from this that he is not speaking of a human being as king: no human being exercises such zeal for bringing about the kingdom in himself and uses weapons and all such things so as to teach gentleness to his own; on the contrary, he is concerned to gain power, and wipe out the opposition and in every way make his own people fearsome to the enemy.”

“What does he mean to express by the "thigh"? The flesh. Whence those words, "A prince shall not depart from Judah; and a lawgiver from his thighs"? Did not Abraham himself (to whom was promised the seed in which "all the nations of the earth were to be blessed"), when he sent his servant to seek and to bring home a wife for his son, being by faith fully persuaded, that in that, so to speak, contemptible seed was contained the great Name; that is, that the Son of God was to come of the seed of Abraham, out of all the children of men; did not he, I say, cause his servant to swear unto him in this manner, saying, "Put your hand under my thigh," [Genesis 24:2] and so swear; as if he had said, "Put your hand on the altar, or on the Gospel, or on the Prophet, or on any holy thing." "Put" (he says) "your hand under my thigh;" having full confidence, not ashamed of it as unseemly, but understanding therein a truth. "With Your beauty and Your glory." Take to You that righteousness, in which You are at all times beautiful and glorious. "And speed on, and proceed prosperously, and reign" [Psalm 45:4]. Do we not see it so? Is it not already come to pass? He has "sped on; has proceeded prosperously, and He reigns;" all nations are subdued unto Him. What a thing was it to see that "in the Spirit," of which same thing it is now in our power to experience in the reality! At the time when these words were said, Christ did not yet "reign" thus; had not yet sped on, nor "proceeded prosperously." They were then being preached, they have now been fulfilled: in many things we have God's promise fulfilled already; in some few we have to claim its fulfilment yet.”

“"Attend, proceed prosperously." The Psalmist above set forth, in commendation of Christ, the strength and preparation of the king; here he treats of his progress; and regarding this he does two things. First, he sets forth the progress of the king. Second, its cause, at "because of truth." Regarding the first, it should be known that in place of these three things set forth here, namely "attend, proceed prosperously, and reign," in Jerome's Psalm there is only one: "ascend prosperously." In the ascent, the progress is designated. Jer. 49: "The lion ascends, and the pride of Jordan toward robust beauty." Hence it is clear that these things pertain to a certain perfection and ascent. In the ascent of a warrior there are three things: beginning, middle, and end. The beginning should be diligent and discreet consideration. Prov. 24: "War is begun with forethought." And Lk. 14 says that a king going to war first considers, etc. Hence, "attend," that is, consider diligently. In Christ, "to attend" designates the disposition of his mercy by which he attended to the salvation of the human race. Ps. 37: "Attend to help me." The middle is prosperous progress. The progress of Christ is understood in two ways. In one way, inasmuch as he came forth from the womb of the Virgin in the Nativity. Ps. 18: "As a bridegroom coming forth from his bridal chamber." And this was a prosperous progress, because he was born without sin, and he did not take away his mother's virginity nor inflict pain. In another way, inasmuch as he proceeded from person to person to convert, this one and that one. And in this he was prosperous, because he eventually arrived at the conversion of the whole world. Is. 55: "He shall do whatever I willed, and shall prosper in those things for which I sent him." Ps. 117: "O Lord, grant prosperity." What he says, "attend," can be joined with what he says, "in your splendor"; as if to say: therefore, O beautiful one, in the power of your humanity, etc., and in the beauty of your divinity, attend. His end is his kingdom. Ps. 46: "God shall reign over all nations." His end is that he may reign through faith in the hearts of all. Lk. 1: "And he shall reign in the house of Jacob." And therefore he says, "and reign." The cause of the progress is "because of truth." And this is either a dispositive or a final cause. If "because of" is first taken as a dispositive cause, as Jerome has, "because of the word of truth and meekness of justice," it should be noted that two things are necessary for a king to act prosperously. First, that he be believed; because if nothing were believed of him and he believed others, he could not do more than one man. Prov. 17: "Eloquent words do not befit a fool." Second, that he be loved; because if he is not loved, he cannot prosper in the kingdom or in his affairs; and this is brought about by the meekness and clemency of the king. Sir. 3: "Son, perform your works in meekness." And so these two things dispose toward the prosperity of the king. Prov. 20: "Mercy and truth preserve the king." Ps. 36: "The meek shall inherit the earth." But according to our text, for a king to prosper in his affairs, he must have three things: namely, truth, meekness, and justice. And these three things made Christ prosper: because he was truthful in teaching, meek in suffering, and just in acting. Of the first, Mt. 22: "We know that you are truthful," etc. Of the second, 1 Pet. 2: "When he suffered, he did not threaten." Jer. 11: "I was like a gentle lamb," etc. Of the third, because in nothing did he depart from justice. Ps. 144: "The Lord is faithful in all his words." But if "because of" designates the final cause, the sense is: attend, proceed prosperously, and reign, that is, so as to establish truth. Now Christ established truth in two ways: namely, by fulfilling the promises, and by fulfilling the figures. Rom. 15: "For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises of the fathers." 2 Cor. 1: "However many are the promises of God, in him they are fulfilled." And also "because of meekness" to be derived to the disciples. Mt. 11: "Learn from me," etc. Likewise, "reign because of justice." Jn. 5: "The Father has given all judgment to the Son." "Your right hand shall lead you wonderfully." Here the manner of the determined progress is set forth. Proceed prosperously. And how? "Your right hand shall lead you." And he speaks in the likeness of a warrior who, if he has an enemy against him, is told that his hand must make a way for him, and so he will pass through fighting; as if to say: proceed, if your right hand makes a way for you. And this "wonderfully," because all will marvel. Jerome has: "Your right hand shall teach you," that is, while you do magnificent things, your hand shall show you to be wonderful. Nevertheless, in another Psalm it reads, "Your hand shall lead you." But it must be said that this text does not contradict that one, because Christ is God and man. And therefore, inasmuch as he is God, his right hand and the Father's are the same. And his right hand led Christ wonderfully in the assault upon enemies. Ex. 15: "Your right hand, O Lord, is magnificent in strength; your right hand, O Lord, has struck the enemy." And in the working of miracles by the power of his divinity. Hence he prepared a way for himself in the hearts of men. Ps. 117: "The right hand of the Lord has shown strength." And if we consider the way, it is wonderful. Esther 13: "For you are exceedingly wonderful, O Lord." Also, it was called wonderful. Ps. 138: "Your works are wonderful."”